Counsel, Justice, and Warnings Against Excess
Proverbs 20:1-30
Pro.20.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היין: NOUN,m,sg,def
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- שכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- שגה: VERB,qal,ptc,m,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- יחכם: VERB,hiphil,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.23:29-35 (verbal): Vivid extended warning about the effects of wine—woe, sorrow, and the deceitful allure of drunkenness—echoing Proverbs 20:1’s claim that wine ‘mocks’ and leads to lack of wisdom.
- Isaiah 28:7 (verbal): Speaks of priests and prophets who ‘erred through wine’ and are led astray by strong drink, using language closely parallel to the idea that wine deceives and causes folly.
- Ephesians 5:18 (thematic): New Testament admonition not to be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit; functions as a moral/theological counterpart to the Proverbs warning about wine’s harmful effects on wisdom and behavior.
- Prov.31:4-5 (thematic): Warns that kings and rulers should not drink wine lest they forget justice and pervert the rights of the afflicted—connects intoxication with impaired judgment and unwise decision-making, a theme of Prov.20:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
- Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Pro.20.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ככפיר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אימת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- מתעברו: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- חוטא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נפשו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.19.12 (verbal): Near-duplicate proverb: the king's wrath is likened to a lion's roar (contrast with his favor), echoing the same imagery and warning about royal anger.
- Prov.16.14 (verbal): Speaks of a king's wrath as bringing death and the need to appease it—closely related in theme and language about the lethal danger of incurring royal ire.
- Daniel 6:16 (thematic): The king's decree leads to Daniel being cast into the lions' den—illustrates the real, lethal consequences of royal anger/authority and echoes the lion imagery tied to a ruler's power.
- 1 Samuel 18:10–11 (thematic): Saul's furious jealousy drives him to seek David's life—an example narrative of how a king's wrath imperils an individual's life, matching the proverb's warning.
Alternative generated candidates
- Like the roar of a lion is the dread of a king; in his anger one who provokes him forfeits his life.
- The roar of a king is like the roar of a young lion; when his anger rises, one who provokes him sins against his own life.
Pro.20.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כבוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאיש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שבת: VERB,qal,inf
- מריב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אויל: ADJ,m,sg
- יתגלע: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 17:14 (structural): Both advise halting a quarrel at its outset—Proverbs 20:3 honors refraining from strife; 17:14 warns to stop contention before it breaks out.
- Proverbs 19:11 (verbal): Uses similar language of 'glory/honor' in restraint: it is a person's glory to overlook an offense, paralleling the honor of desisting from strife in 20:3.
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 (thematic): Links folly with quick anger and quarrel—Ecclesiastes warns not to be quickly provoked because anger belongs to fools, echoing 20:3's contrast between honorable restraint and the fool who quarrels.
- Proverbs 26:21 (thematic): Pictures the quarrelsome person as a fire-starter whose behavior kindles strife, thematically echoing 20:3's depiction of fools who provoke quarrels rather than seek peace.
Alternative generated candidates
- To keep away from strife is honor for a man; but every fool becomes quarrelsome.
- It is to a man's honor to keep away from strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
Pro.20.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מחרף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עצל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- יחרש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ושאל: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- בקציר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:6-11 (thematic): Contrast between the industrious ant and the sluggard; both passages warn that laziness leads to want at harvest/time of need.
- Proverbs 10:5 (verbal): Explicit harvest imagery—those who gather in summer/harvest are wise while those who sleep at harvest bring shame, echoing the consequence in Prov 20:4.
- Proverbs 24:30-34 (thematic): A field left untended because of sloth becomes overgrown and leads to poverty—an extended parable of the same principle in Prov 20:4.
- Ecclesiastes 10:18 (thematic): Links sloth with physical decay and loss (roof/house), another saying that associates laziness with material loss.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (thematic): New Testament ethic that unwillingness to work results in not eating—a moral/practical parallel to the warning against the sluggard's lack at harvest.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sluggard will not plow because of winter; at harvest he will beg and have nothing.
- A sluggard will not plow in season; at harvest he will seek and have nothing.
Pro.20.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עמקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עצה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בלב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תבונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ידלנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Corinthians 2:10 (thematic): Both speak of 'deep' things and the disclosure of hidden counsel—God/Spirit reveals what lies in the depths, like drawing out counsel from the heart.
- Proverbs 25:2 (verbal): Uses the paired idea of concealment and searching out ('to search out a matter') paralleling the proverb's image of deep, hidden counsel that must be drawn out.
- Psalm 139:23–24 (thematic): Invokes searching of the inner person and exposure of heart-motives—similar to uncovering the deep counsel lodged in a man's heart.
- Proverbs 20:27 (structural): Same chapter's complementary image: the spirit/lamp of a man searches his inward parts, echoing the theme of inner illumination and bringing hidden counsel to light.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (thematic): God's searching and testing of the heart and mind parallels the notion that inner counsel is hidden like deep waters and must be examined/revealed.
Alternative generated candidates
- Counsel in a man's heart is like deep waters; a man of understanding will draw them out.
- Deep water are the counsels of a man's heart, but a man of understanding draws them out.
Pro.20.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רב: ADJ,m,sg
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יקרא: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמונים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 5:1 (verbal): Uses near-verbatim language—'if you can find a man'—and the same quest for one who is righteous/faithful; parallels the search for an honestly faithful person.
- Psalm 12:1 (thematic): Laments the scarcity of godly/faithful people ('the godly have ceased'); echoes Prov.20:6's theme that truly faithful persons are rare.
- Micah 7:2 (thematic): Declares that the faithful have disappeared and there is no one upright—a close thematic parallel stressing the paucity of dependable, faithful people.
- Psalm 14:3 (thematic): Proclaims that no one does good, highlighting human unfaithfulness and moral deficiency—resonates with Prov.20:6's distrust of many who claim fidelity.
Alternative generated candidates
- Many a one proclaims his steadfast love; who can find a faithful man?
- Many a man professes his steadfast love, but who can find a faithful man?
Pro.20.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מתהלך: VERB,hitpael,ptc,3,m,sg
- בתמו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- בניו: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- אחריו: PREP,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 112:2 (verbal): Speaks of the offspring/generation of the upright being blessed—closely parallels the proverb's claim that the righteous man's children are fortunate after him.
- Proverbs 13:22 (thematic): ‘A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children’—shares the theme that a righteous life produces lasting benefit for descendants.
- Proverbs 10:7 (thematic): ‘The memory of the righteous is blessed’—connects to the idea of a righteous person's positive legacy affecting others, including his children.
- Psalm 78:4-6 (thematic): Emphasizes passing faith and instruction to the next generation so they may remain faithful—relates to the proverb's concern with the righteous man's influence and blessing on his children.
Alternative generated candidates
- The righteous who walks in integrity—how blessed are his children after him.
- The righteous who walks in integrity—blessed are his children after him.
Pro.20.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יושב: VERB,qal,ptcp,1,m,sg
- על: PREP
- כסא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מזרה: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- בעיניו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- כל: DET
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 11:4 (verbal): God (like a king on his throne) is pictured as seated in his holy place whose eyes behold and whose eyelids test — similar imagery of a ruler’s eyes discerning and judging.
- Job 34:21 (verbal): God’s eyes watch human ways and see all their steps — parallels the motif of eyes that inspect and sift out wrongdoing.
- Daniel 7:9-10 (structural): The Ancient of Days taking his throne and a heavenly court sitting in judgment echoes the throne-of-judgment scene and royal adjudication.
- Proverbs 16:10 (thematic): Both verses link kingship and justice — the king’s role in issuing just sentences and exercising divine-like judgment.
- Isaiah 33:22 (thematic): The LORD as judge, lawgiver, and king parallels the fusion of kingship and judicial authority portrayed in Proverbs 20:8.
Alternative generated candidates
- A king seated on the throne of judgment winnows away all that is evil with his eyes.
- A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows out all wickedness with his eyes.
Pro.20.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- זכיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- לבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- טהרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- מחטאתי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,1
Parallels
- Proverbs 16:2 (verbal): Similar proverb about self-justification — 'All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weighs the hearts.' — highlights self-deception regarding inner purity.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20 (thematic): States that no one on earth is without sin, echoing the impossibility of claiming a sinless heart.
- Psalm 19:12-13 (thematic): Prayer for cleansing from hidden and presumptuous sins; parallels the need for inward purification rather than a confident claim of being without sin.
- 1 John 1:8-10 (verbal): Direct New Testament parallel: 'If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves,' addressing the same denial of personal sin and urging confession.
- Romans 3:10-12 (thematic): Paul's citation of universal human unrighteousness ('there is none righteous') parallels the rhetorical question that no one can rightly claim a wholly clean heart.
Alternative generated candidates
- Who can say, "I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin"?
- Who can say, "I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin"?
Pro.20.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- איפה: ADV
- ואיפה: CONJ+ADV,interr
- תועבת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- גם: ADV
- שניהם: PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 25:13-16 (verbal): Direct legal parallel forbidding differing weights and measures; uses near-identical moral language ('an abomination to the LORD') as Proverbs 20:10.
- Leviticus 19:35-36 (thematic): Priestly law requiring honest balances and measures ('you shall have just balances…'), establishing the ethical background for condemning unequal weights.
- Proverbs 11:1 (verbal): Proverbial counterpart that explicitly states 'A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,' echoing the same moral judgment against dishonest weights.
- Amos 8:5-6 (thematic): Prophetic denunciation of merchants who shorten measures and falsify balances; applies the same critique of economic injustice found in Prov 20:10.
- Proverbs 16:11 (allusion): Affirms that just balances and scales belong to the LORD and that proper measures are his work—reinforces the theological claim behind the condemnation of unequal weights.
Alternative generated candidates
- Unequal weights and unequal measures—both of them are an abomination to the LORD.
- Unequal weights—both are an abomination to the LORD.
Pro.20.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גם: ADV
- במעלליו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3ms
- יתנכר: VERB,hith,impf,3,m,sg
- נער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אם: CONJ
- זך: ADJ,m,sg
- ואם: CONJ
- ישר: ADJ,m,sg
- פעלו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Matthew 7:16-20 (verbal): Jesus' saying 'by their fruits you will know them' parallels Proverbs' claim that outward actions (even of a child) reveal inner character.
- Luke 6:43-45 (verbal): The parable of the good/bad tree and its fruit links inner disposition and outward deeds—like Prov. 20:11's point that conduct discloses a person's nature.
- James 2:18-24 (thematic): James argues that faith is shown by works; similarly Prov. 20:11 asserts that a person's actions (even a child's) demonstrate what kind of person they are.
- Proverbs 22:15 (structural): Both proverbs address children and behavior—Prov. 20:11 about actions revealing character, Prov. 22:15 about innate folly in a child—together portraying how a child's disposition appears in conduct.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (thematic): Jeremiah emphasizes God's searching of the heart; Prov. 20:11 complements this by noting that inner reality is often made visible through outward actions.
Alternative generated candidates
- Even a child is known by his deeds, whether his work be pure and whether it be right.
- Even a child is known by his deeds—whether his work is pure and whether it is right.
Pro.20.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אזן: NOUN,f,sg,cstr
- שמעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- ועין: CONJ+NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
- ראה: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- שניהם: PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 94:9 (verbal): Uses the same idea/phrasing that the one who planted the ear and formed the eye will see and hear—close verbal parallel about God as creator of senses.
- Jeremiah 5:21 (verbal): Speaks of people having 'eyes to see not, and ears to hear not,' echoing the theme of given senses and the responsibility or failure to use them.
- Deuteronomy 29:4 (allusion): Mentions God not giving 'a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear,' paralleling the triad of perception faculties and divine agency over them.
- Isaiah 6:9 (thematic): Speaks of ears hearing and eyes seeing without understanding—thematises the moral/spiritual use (or misuse) of ears and eyes that Proverbs highlights as God's gifts.
Alternative generated candidates
- The hearing ear and the seeing eye—the LORD has made them both.
- The hearing ear and the seeing eye—the LORD has made them both.
Pro.20.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תאהב: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- פן: CONJ
- תורש: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- פקח: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- עיניך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2ms
- שבע: NUM,card
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.6:9-11 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel — warns against sleeping/lingering in sleep (‘a little sleep, a little slumber’) and says poverty/need will come like a robber, echoing the cause-effect of love of sleep leading to lack of bread.
- Prov.20:4 (thematic): Same chapter theme of sloth: the sluggard’s refusal to work (won’t plow) results in lack and begging, paralleling the warning that love of sleep brings poverty.
- Prov.24:30-34 (allusion): The field of the sluggard passage depicts neglect, overgrowth, and concludes that poverty will come like a robber — an extended echo of the warning that sleep/neglect produces want.
- Prov.13:4 (thematic): Contrasts the sluggard’s cravings and lack with the diligent who are satisfied; parallels the promise that waking/being alert leads to provision (satisfied with bread).
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
- Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have bread enough.
Pro.20.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- הקונה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואזל: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- אז: ADV
- יתהלל: VERB,hithpael,juss,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 20:10 (verbal): Same chapter and context condemning dishonest measures in commerce; both verses address marketplace deceit and untrustworthy trading practices.
- Proverbs 11:1 (thematic): Affirms the moral principle against dishonest trade—'a false balance is an abomination'—echoing the critique of deceptive behavior by buyers/sellers.
- Deuteronomy 25:13-16 (structural): Mosaic law forbids differing weights and measures; provides the legal background for the ethical stance against cheating in transactions reflected in Prov 20:14.
- Leviticus 19:35-36 (structural): Commands honest measures and weights in business dealings, paralleling the proverb's concern with truthfulness and fairness in the marketplace.
- Amos 8:5-6 (thematic): Prophetic denunciation of merchants scheming to sell and cheat around sacred times—aligns with Prov 20:14's exposure of cynical, self-serving conduct in commerce.
Alternative generated candidates
- "Bad, bad," says the buyer; then he goes off and boasts about his bargain.
- "Bad, bad," says the buyer; then, when he has gone away, he boasts.
Pro.20.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורב: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- פנינים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- וכלי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- יקר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- שפתי: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- דעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 3:14-15 (verbal): Uses the same comparative language valuing wisdom above silver and rubies — like Prov 20:15’s claim that the lips of knowledge are a precious (more valuable than material wealth).
- Proverbs 8:10-11 (verbal): Directly contrasts instruction/knowledge with silver and choice gold and declares wisdom better than rubies, echoing the trope that speech/knowledge outvalues precious things.
- Job 28:15-18 (thematic): Lists gold and precious stones but concludes that the price of wisdom/understanding surpasses them, paralleling Prov 20:15’s valuation of knowledge over wealth.
- Matthew 13:45-46 (thematic): The parable of the pearl presents the kingdom (or ultimate truth) as a pearl of supreme worth for which one rightly sacrifices all — a New Testament analogue to valuing spiritual/ intellectual treasure above riches.
- Proverbs 16:16 (thematic): Explicitly states it is better to get wisdom than gold and understanding than silver, a concise parallel statement of the same ethical-evaluative principle found in Prov 20:15.
Alternative generated candidates
- There is gold and a multitude of pearls, but lips of knowledge are a rare and costly vessel.
- There is gold, and an abundance of pearls; but the lips of knowledge are a precious thing.
Pro.20.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לקח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בגדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- כי: CONJ
- ערב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ובעד: PREP
- נכריה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- חבלהו: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 27:13 (verbal): Almost identical wording and instruction — advises taking a garment as security when someone becomes surety for a stranger, directly paralleling Prov 20:16.
- Proverbs 6:1-5 (thematic): Extended warning against becoming a guarantor/surety for another and advice to free oneself from such obligations; shares the same moral and practical concern about suretyship.
- Proverbs 11:15 (thematic): States that being surety for a stranger leads to suffering and contrasts security with taking on others' obligations — a concise parallel on the risks of guarantorship.
- Deuteronomy 24:10-13 (allusion): Legal background concerning taking a garment as a pledge for a loan and the duty to return it by evening; provides the covenant-law context for the image of seizing a garment as security.
Alternative generated candidates
- Take his cloak—he put up security for a stranger; hold it as surety for an outsider.
- Take his garment—he has become surety for a stranger; hold him as a pledge who has guaranteed a foreigner.
Pro.20.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ערב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאיש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואחר: CONJ
- ימלא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פיהו: NOUN,m,sg,pr3ms
- חצץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.10:2 (verbal): Contrasts gains from wickedness with true deliverance—like Prov.20:17, ill‑gotten ‘sweet’ gain proves worthless or harmful.
- Prov.21:6 (verbal): Speaks of treasures gotten by a lying tongue as vanity and a snare—paralleling the proverb’s theme that deceitful food/wealth brings ruin.
- Prov.13:11 (thematic): Warns that quickly gained wealth will dwindle, echoing the idea that pleasures from dishonest gain are transient and end in loss.
- Ps.73:12,18–19 (thematic): Describes the apparent prosperity of the wicked as sweet/advantageous now but ending in downfall—similar reversal of present pleasure to later judgment.
- James 5:1–3 (thematic): Addresses hoarded/corrupt riches that seem valuable but will rot and bring judgment—New Testament parallel to the proverb’s warning about deceitful gain.
Alternative generated candidates
- Bread gained by deceit tastes sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.
- The bread of falsehood is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.
Pro.20.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מחשבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בעצה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תכון: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,sg
- ובתחבלות: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 24:6 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel—both link wise counsel/guidance with success in war or conflict ("by wise guidance you wage war").
- Proverbs 15:22 (thematic): Same theme: plans succeed only with counsel ("Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed").
- Proverbs 11:14 (thematic): Emphasizes the communal/safety aspect of many counselors—lack of guidance leads to failure, echoing need for counsel before action."
- Proverbs 16:3 (verbal): Uses similar language about plans being established ("Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established"), paralleling the notion of plans being made firm by appropriate means.
- Proverbs 21:5 (thematic): Connects careful planning with successful outcomes ("The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance"), reinforcing the proverb’s emphasis on prudent planning and strategy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.
- Plans are established by counsel; with wise guidance make war.
Pro.20.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גולה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- סוד: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- הולך: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- רכיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולפתה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שפתיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- תתערב: VERB,hitpael,imf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Leviticus 19:16 (thematic): A legal prohibition against going about as a talebearer among the people — the same social/ethical concern about spreading harmful speech.
- Proverbs 11:13 (verbal): Uses almost the same language about a talebearer revealing secrets, a direct verbal parallel warning against gossip.
- Proverbs 26:20-22 (verbal): Describes how absence of a talebearer stops strife and compares a talebearer’s words to wounds — develops the practical consequences of gossip.
- Proverbs 26:28 (verbal): Speaks of a flattering mouth working ruin, directly paralleling the warning against one who flatters with his lips in Prov 20:19.
- Psalm 15:3 (thematic): Portrays the righteous person as one who does not backbite or slander — a moral contrast to the talebearer/flatterer condemned in Proverbs 20:19.
Alternative generated candidates
- One who reveals a secret is a gossip; do not consort with one who flatters with his lips.
- One who reveals a secret breaks friendship; a gossip goes about—do not consort with the one who flatters with his lips.
Pro.20.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מקלל: VERB,piel,ptc,ms,sg
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ואמו: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,sg
- ידעך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg,obj2,m,sg
- נרו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- באשון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חשך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 21:17 (quotation): The law states explicitly that 'whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death'—the same prohibition phrased as a legal/penal consequence as in Prov.20:20.
- Leviticus 20:9 (quotation): Repeats the cultic/penal formula that cursing one's father or mother incurs death; closely parallels the moral reproach behind Proverbs' warning.
- Deuteronomy 27:16 (structural): Part of the covenant curses: 'Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother'—a public formula condemning the same act that Proverbs treats as bringing disastrous consequence.
- Proverbs 13:9 (verbal): Uses the same extinguished-lamp imagery ('the lamp of the wicked will be put out') to describe the fate of the wicked, paralleling Prov.20:20's 'his lamp will be put out' as a metaphor for ruin.
- Proverbs 24:20 (verbal): Another proverb that says 'there is no future for the wicked; the lamp of the wicked will be put out,' echoing the doom imagery of Prov.20:20 applied to moral failure.
Alternative generated candidates
- Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
- Whoever curses his father or his mother—his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
Pro.20.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נחלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מבהלת: VERB,qal,ptc,f,sg
- בראשנה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואחריתה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs+prn:3fs
- לא: PART_NEG
- תברך: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 13:11 (verbal): Both warn that wealth obtained hastily will not endure—'wealth gained hastily will dwindle' echoes the idea that a hurried inheritance is not blessed in the end.
- Proverbs 21:5 (thematic): Contrasts diligent steady planning with haste: the diligent gain abundance, while the hasty bring about poverty—paralleling the negative outcome of an overly rapid acquisition.
- Proverbs 28:20 (thematic): Declares that those who hasten to be rich come to trouble, resonating with the proverb's warning that a quickly obtained inheritance will not have a blessed outcome.
- Luke 12:16-21 (thematic): The parable of the rich fool illustrates the futility of sudden or selfish accumulation of wealth and its inability to secure lasting blessing—echoing the proverb's caution about transient gain.
- 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (thematic): Paul's warning that the desire to be rich leads to ruin parallels the proverb's judgment that hastily acquired wealth or inheritance does not bring final blessing.
Alternative generated candidates
- An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.
- An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.
Pro.20.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תאמר: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אשלמה: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- קוה: VERB,qal,impv,2,ms
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישע: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 24:29 (verbal): Similar admonition against repaying evil: 'Do not say, “I will do to them as they have done to me; I will repay them for the harm they caused me.”' (close verbal parallel).
- Romans 12:19 (quotation): Paul echoes the same principle of leaving vengeance to God: 'Beloved, never avenge yourselves... “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”' (quotation/allusion to the OT warrant for waiting on God).
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (quotation): OT source for divine retribution language: 'Vengeance is mine, and recompense,' supplying the theological basis for waiting on the LORD rather than seeking personal revenge.
- Psalm 37:7 (thematic): Shares the theme of patient trust: 'Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him'—encouraging restraint from personal vengeance and reliance on God's deliverance.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will save you.
- Do not say, "I will repay evil"; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
Pro.20.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תועבת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומאזני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,const
- מרמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 11:1 (verbal): Uses nearly identical wording: ‘A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,’ contrasting false weights with divine displeasure (direct verbal parallel).
- Proverbs 16:11 (verbal): Affirms the same concern for just weights and measures—‘a just weight and balance are the LORD’s’—complementing Prov 20:23’s moral valuation of weights.
- Deuteronomy 25:13-16 (allusion): Legal prohibition against using differing weights and measures as an ‘abomination to the LORD,’ providing the law-code background for the proverb’s moral claim.
- Leviticus 19:35-36 (allusion): Commands honest balances and measures—‘you shall have honest balances’—serving as an earlier Torah injunction that undergirds the proverb’s denunciation of false weights.
- Amos 8:5 (thematic): Condemns exploiting customers by making the ephah small and the shekel great (dishonest measures), thematically linking economic injustice through false weights to prophetic social critique.
Alternative generated candidates
- Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and deceitful scales are not good.
- A pair of weights—an abomination to the LORD; deceitful scales are not good.
Pro.20.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מיהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצעדי: NOUN,m,pl,cns
- גבר: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ואדם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מה: PRON,int
- יבין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דרכו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 16:9 (verbal): Both verses contrast human planning with divine direction—'The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps' echoes Proverbs 20:24's claim that a man's steps are from the LORD.
- Psalm 37:23 (verbal): Affirms the same idea phrased positively: 'The steps of a man are established by the LORD,' paralleling the notion that the LORD determines a man's steps.
- Jeremiah 10:23 (thematic): Expresses the limitation of human control over one's path—'The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps'—which thematically complements Proverbs 20:24's question about understanding one's way.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (thematic): Urges trusting the LORD so that he will 'direct your paths,' thematically linked to Proverbs 20:24's emphasis on God's guidance of human steps.
- Psalm 119:133 (thematic): A petition—'Order my steps in thy word'—that reflects dependence on God for the right path, resonating with Proverbs 20:24's focus on the Lord's role in a person's way.
Alternative generated candidates
- A man's steps are ordered by the LORD; how then can anyone understand his own way?
- A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can anyone understand his own way?
Pro.20.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מוקש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ילע: VERB,qal,inf,NA,NA,NA
- קדש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואחר: CONJ
- נדרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לבקר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 5:2-4 (thematic): Warns against being rash with the mouth and making vows before God; echoes Proverbs' warning that hasty declarations of holiness or vows are a snare.
- Numbers 30:2 (structural): Sets out the law that a man’s vow to the LORD is binding, highlighting the seriousness and consequences of making vows—background for Proverbs’ caution.
- Deuteronomy 23:21-23 (structural): Commands that vows made to the LORD must be paid without delay, reinforcing the biblical concern that vows are not to be made lightly.
- Matthew 5:33-37 (allusion): Jesus teaches against swearing oaths and urges simple, truthful speech ('let your yes be yes'), addressing the same problem of rash vows and binding words.
- James 5:12 (verbal): Echoes Jesus’ teaching by forbidding oath-taking and calling for straightforward speech, reflecting the New Testament restatement of the wisdom motif about vows and rash words.
Alternative generated candidates
- It is a snare for a man to make a rash vow and only afterward to consider his vows.
- It is a snare for a person to devote something rashly and only afterward to consider vows.
Pro.20.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מזרה: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- חכם: ADJ,m,sg
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- אופן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 101:4-8 (thematic): A ruler/kingly speaker vows to exclude or silence evildoers from his presence and household—parallel to a wise king winnowing out the wicked.
- Proverbs 16:12 (thematic): Speaks of a king abhorring wickedness because a throne depends on righteousness; complements the idea that a wise king removes the wicked to preserve justice.
- Proverbs 29:4 (thematic): Affirms that a king who practices justice secures the land, implying the removal or control of evildoers for the sake of stability—akin to winnowing out the wicked.
- Isaiah 1:25 (verbal): Uses purification/winnowing/smelting imagery ('I will turn my hand against you and smelt away your dross') to describe removal of the wicked or corrupt—verbal parallel to the winnowing metaphor.
- Jeremiah 23:5-6 (thematic): Promises a righteous Davidic king who will execute justice and remove wrongdoing—the messianic enactment of a ruler removing the wicked from governance.
Alternative generated candidates
- A wise king winnows out the wicked and casts the wheel over them.
- A wise king winnows out the wicked and drives his wheel over them.
Pro.20.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- נשמת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חפש: VERB,qal,infc,0,0,0
- כל: DET
- חדרי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- בטן: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Jeremiah 17:10 (verbal): God declares that he searches the heart and tests the mind/reins—language and theme parallel the LORD’s searching of inner parts in Prov 20:27.
- Psalm 139:23-24 (thematic): A prayer asking God to 'search me' and know the heart and thoughts, echoing the idea of divine scrutiny of a person's inward being.
- 1 Corinthians 2:11 (verbal): Paul speaks of the spirit of a person knowing the depths of a person—parallel to Prov 20:27’s link between human spirit and the examination of inner parts.
- Hebrews 4:12-13 (thematic): God’s word is described as able to discern thoughts and intentions and nothing hidden from him—theme of penetrating knowledge of the inner life akin to Prov 20:27.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (verbal): David states that the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought, using language closely parallel to the searching of inner chambers in Prov 20:27.
Alternative generated candidates
- The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inward parts.
- The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the innermost parts.
Pro.20.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואמת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יצרו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- וסעד: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,ms
- בחסד: PREP
- כסאו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Psalm 89:14 (verbal): Uses similar language pairing righteousness/justice with mercy and truth and links these virtues to the throne—'mercy and truth shall go before him' and the throne's foundation in righteousness.
- Psalm 85:10 (verbal): Explicitly pairs 'mercy' (חסד) and 'truth' (אמת): 'Mercy and truth have met together,' echoing Proverbs' juxtaposition of these virtues.
- Proverbs 16:12 (thematic): Asserts that a throne is established by righteousness and rejects wickedness in kings—parallel idea that a king's rule is sustained by moral virtues.
- Psalm 72:12-14 (thematic): Describes a righteous/compassionate king who delivers the needy and sustains the afflicted—illustrates how royal legitimacy and stability rest on mercy and justice.
Alternative generated candidates
- Loyalty and truth preserve a king; his throne is upheld by lovingkindness.
- Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve a king, and his throne is upheld by mercy.
Pro.20.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תפארת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בחורים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כחם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והדר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זקנים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שיבה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 16:31 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel: both speak of gray hair as a crown/glory of the aged (’gray hair is a crown of glory’ = ’the glory of old men is gray hair’).
- Leviticus 19:32 (allusion): Thematically related command to honor the gray‑headed and show respect for elders, echoing the proverb’s valuation of old age/gray hair.
- Job 12:12 (thematic): Affirms the value of age: ‘With the aged is wisdom; in length of days understanding,’ paralleling the proverb’s positive valuation of the elderly.
- Proverbs 24:5 (structural): Contrasting/parallel wisdom in Proverbs: ‘A wise man is strong; a man of knowledge increases strength,’ pairing virtues (strength, wisdom) as defining marks of persons in different stages/roles.
Alternative generated candidates
- The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is gray hair.
- The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
Pro.20.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חברות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- פצע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תמרוק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומכות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- חדרי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- בטן: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Proverbs 13:24 (verbal): Both verses link physical punishment (‘rod’, ‘stripes’) with beneficial correction—discipline that prevents or removes wrongdoing in a child.
- Proverbs 23:13-14 (verbal): Commands not to withhold the rod because correction (‘stripes’) can deliver the child's life—echoes the idea that blows/punishment purge evil and benefit inner life.
- Proverbs 22:15 (thematic): States that the rod of correction drives foolishness from the heart—similar theme that discipline removes moral/inner corruption.
- Proverbs 3:11-12 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD’s discipline as loving correction; parallels the proverb’s view that painful chastening serves to cure or cleanse inner faults.
- Hebrews 12:5-11 (allusion): Interprets divine chastening as loving parental discipline producing righteousness—New Testament application of the same principle that correction (though painful) benefits the recipient’s inner life.
Alternative generated candidates
- Stripes that wound purge away evil, and blows reach the inmost parts.
- Stripes cleanse away evil, and blows purge the inmost parts.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Like the roar of a young lion is the dread of a king; to arouse him is to risk your life.
It is honor for a man to keep away from strife, but every fool will be quarrelsome.
A sluggard will not plow because of winter; at harvest he will seek and have nothing.
Deep are the waters of counsel in a man's heart; a man of understanding will draw them out.
Many a man proclaims his steadfast love; who can find a faithful one?
The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him.
A king sits on the throne of judgment; with his eyes he winnows away all evil.
Who can say, "I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin"?
Different weights and different measures—both alike are an abomination to the LORD.
Even a child is known by his deeds—whether his conduct is pure and whether it is upright.
The ear that hears and the eye that sees—the LORD has made both.
Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
"Too bad, too bad," says the buyer; then he goes away and boasts.
There is gold and an abundance of pearls, but lips of knowledge are a choice possession.
Take his cloak—he who becomes surety for a stranger; he has given security for a foreigner.
Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, yet afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
Plans are established by counsel; wage your war according to wise guidance.
A whisperer reveals secrets; do not consort with one who flatters with his lips.
Whoever curses his father or his mother—his lamp will be extinguished in utter darkness.
An inheritance gained hastily at the first will not be blessed in the end.
Do not say, "I will repay evil"—wait for the LORD, and he will save you.
The LORD detests differing weights; deceitful scales are not good.
A man's steps are directed by the LORD—how then can a man understand his own way?
It is a snare for a man to make a rash vow; afterwards he will regret it.
A wise king winnows out the wicked and removes them from his presence.
The spirit of man is the LORD's lamp; it searches all the inward depths.
Steadfast love and truth preserve a king, and his throne is upheld by loyal love.
The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of the old is their gray hair.
Blows that wound cleanse away evil; stripes reach the inmost parts.